A Final Look at 2007
October

Caledon support was strong in October for Ontario's World Record Walk to promote a healthy lifestyle. Locally, 164 people walked the one-kilometre lap. The event was co-ordinated with International Walk to School Day.

The design plan for the Mayfield West community won some high praise.

It was announced the plan had won the Planning Partnership an Excellence in Planning Award from the Ontario Professional Planners Institute.

* * * * * * * Salem United Church celebrated its 145th anniversary.

A barn fire on Olde Base Line Road claimed some livestock and caused an estimated $125,000 in

damage.

* * * * * * *

Voters throughout Ontario went to the polls in the Oct. 10 provincial election.

Premier Dalton McGuinty and his Liberals were returned to power with another majority government, but they learned they will be facing opposition from the MPP elected to represent Dufferin - Caledon.

Sylvia Jones took about 42.8 per cent of the vote to to claim the seat. Her margin of victory was not quite 5,000 votes.

Jones had mixed feelings following the results.

"It's bittersweet," she commented election night. "I'm thrilled I won the riding, but province wide it's not what I hoped for."

Liberal Betsy Hall, who collected about 12,600 votes, or roughly 32 per cent, took comfort in the fact the province's public education and health care systems were "safe" following the election.

"I'm happy to see Ontario is back in good hands," Hall said. "Public education and public health are both safe."

Green party candidate Rob Strang was third with about 16.3 per cent of the vote, followed by New Democrat Lynda McDougall.

"We're pretty happy with it," Strang said later, observing his party's support provincially grew to eight per cent from less than three per cent in the previous election. He added to do this without much media coverage was "amazing."

"I was hoping for more," Strang said, adding that 20 per cent was what he had in mind. "People were

receptive to our issues."

* * * * * * *

Rev. Wendy Moore arrived in October to take her post at the pulpit of St. James' Anglican Church in

Caledon East.

* * * * * * *

The Caledon Chamber of Commerce, supported by the majority of its 411 members, announced it would ask Caledon council to revisit its population projection numbers, and ultimately increase them.

The key to Bolton's business sector longevity lies in expanding the commercial and residential boundaries, and allowing growth to proceed in South Albion, the Chamber argued.

Peel Region, in conjunction with its member municipalities, was working on its compliance to the province's Places to Grow strategy, which predicted a total population in Peel of 1.64 million by 2031. By all accounts, all but an estimated 31,000 of those residents are designated for existing growth areas in Brampton and Mississauga. Peel was proceeding with their plans and if Caledon wanted to absorb that population, or a portion thereof, they need to provide Peel with their policy. The deadline from the province was June of 2009.

Councillor Richard Whitehead said he believed Peel would be ready by mid- 2008.

"We just want to get the job done at the Region," Whitehead said.

The Chamber had been leading the charge on growth since it first voiced concerns about what they saw as restrictive population figures, which were received but not adopted by the former council in the fall of 2006. It basically outlined a no-growth scenario for Bolton through 2021, allowing for only 1,500 homes.

Kelly Darnley, president and CEO of the Chamber, said they had found "resistance" from the Town regarding its concerns and that was why they'd decided to rally the troops.

"Growth has to be phased in and managed now," she said. "We can't afford to

wait."

* * * * * * *

The highest honour in Canada for lifetime achievement bestowed to Helen E. Gardiner of Caledon East in October, as she was invested with the Order of Canada.

"It's a terrific honour," she declared, adding a lot of nice people recommended her.

Gardiner and her late husband George founded the Gardiner Museum in Toronto in 1984. It has grown to become one of the most famous museums of ceramic art in North America. She explained they were collectors for quite a few years and decided to give their ceramic art collection to the museum when it was created. It is

now owned by the province.

* * * * * * *

A proposal by a developer to build more housing in the south Albion- Bolton area sparked different opinions.

Solmar was proposing to add 27,000 more people to the area Town council heard from a few delegations on the matter, including Wildfield resident Dan O'Reilly, who urged council not to give in to the "bullying tactics" of the developer or its ally, the Caledon Chamber of Commerce, by endorsing the proposed redevelopment of the Mayfield Road, Healey Road, Coleraine Drive and The Gore Road area.

"What an outrageous, ridiculous proposal," he said. "It would double the size of Bolton's current population, gobble up more farmland, push already overburdened services over the breaking point and generate more traffic mayhem and chaos on local roads."