'Victory' may be brief in Caledon's development

The anti-growth activists in Caledon have achieved a victory, albeit a brief one.

After inundating Caledon council with letters and presentations, councillors voted to retain the population cap of 108,000 through 2031.

The anti forces wanted to put Caledon's future back in the hands of residents.

Apparently, some residents and politicians have forgotten their history.

The Region of Peel was officially launched in 1974 and designed, by the Province of Ontario, as a "growth area" due to its strategic location. It was contended at the time by Queen's Park that development could progress more consistently and rapidly under one regional system, and not dozens of small, individual municipalities.

When Peel came into being, it had a population of roughly 240,000. That same year, Bolton's population was in the neighbourhood of 2,500 to 3,000.

So, in the past 33 years, Peel has grown by roughly one million, to its current level of 1.25 million people. No one, in 1974, could have imagined a population of one million more people over the coming 30 years. A five-fold increase across the board (tenfold hike in Bolton) was considered normal, steady growth. Extend that math and Caledon should swell to a minimum of 250,000 by 2037. Further, Peel currently grows by an estimated 30,000 people annually - the equivalent of the current population of Bolton per year!

The province provided the opportunity when it created Peel. The market forces made it happen.

Fast-forward to 2007 and the current (just beginning) debate on growth.

The province, when it created its Places to Growth policy, the greenbelt and whitebelt in Caledon, decided, on our behalf, where development should, and will, take place in the years to come.

And that area, my friends, is South Albion. The province now deems this huge tract of land a prime spot for urbanization.

The decision on the current ceiling of 108,000 is really a moot point. When Peel completes its compliance to the Places to Grow provincial policy, our numbers will be reviewed by the brains at Queen's Park. That exercise will likely take place in the next 2-3 years. But guess what, folks? When the review takes place the numbers will already be out of date and out of sync, so the province will likely up them anyway, based on more current information. Our prized and cherished 108,000 could very well become 208,000. The provincial geniuses, while looking over the figures and a map of Peel, will see that Brampton and Mississauga won't be able to accommodate much more. They will then notice there's a huge stretch of vacant land along Mayfield Road in Caledon. Buttons on calculators will be pressed and the LCD display - not residents, not council - will determine the final digits.

It's that simple, that logical. It's about space and numbers.

Provincial policy doesn't care about feelings, roots and inconvenience. They've already taken out their pencils and drawn the lines through Caledon. Policy has been enshrined; maps, booklets and overheads produced.

The entire scenario will change over the next couple of years. Many likely won't be thrilled with the forthcoming recommendations.

When the final numbers are generated, that's when the shouting and screaming will take place for real. The provincial Liberals, given the rock solid majority from the voters, have carte blanche to proceed without our blessing.

The current council will be ending its term; new residents and new developers will emerge, as will a new era in provincial planning.

Hopefully, the leaders at the Town of Caledon will begin planning for that inevitable growth, and not spend the term ignoring the whole thing, believing they've dodged a bullet.

Whatever victory the antis think they've achieved could be literally wiped out with the stroke of a bureaucratic pen or button on a keyboard.

The writing's on the wall. Immigration won't stop. Progress won't stop. Provincial policies won't be overturned.

We will grow. We should think about what type of "complete communities" we'd like to see in the next few decades. We may find similarities with what's on the table.

Take out your own map of Caledon and look around. Where will all these people go?

The answer is obvious.