A Final Look at 2007
November

Robert and Bruce Mellow of Bolton were named Peel's Family of the Year, by the Caledon Chamber of commerce, Brampton Board of Trade and Peel Federation of

Agriculture.

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The population forecast numbers for Caledon came up for debate again.

After listening to many presentations from the public, Town council voted unanimously to maintain the projections contained in the proposed Official Plan Amendment 203.

Councillors voted to support the 2021 population forecast of 84,444 currently approved in the Official Plan and the 2031 population forecast of 108,000 as proposed in OPA 203. They decided they wouldn't consider any more population beyond 108,000 in 2031 until a strategy has been developed for managing growth in the white belt.

Mayor Marolyn Morrison told the overflowing audience packed into the council chambers that at the time the agenda was set the Town had received 359 pieces of correspondence regarding the population projects, including three petitions. Council heard 14 in-person delegations.

Karen Hutchinson and Nicola Ross from the Caledon Countryside Alliance urged council not to increase the population projections it agreed to last year. They pointed out new money from residential development wouldn't maintain services.

Former councillor Ian Sinclair said a population of 84,444 for 2021 was a good number, adding the development charges received from growth won't cover all the costs, and the Town will have to pay as well.

Kelly Darnley, president and chief executive officer of the Caledon Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber was doing its best to serve the interests of its members and the community, adding they believed the population forecasts were understated. Darnley said the population forecasts should be between 114,000 and 125,000 by

2031.

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A potentially explosive fire at a Bolton propane company led to massive emergency response and evacuation early one November morning.

The fire broke out in the main filling plant at the head office of Caledon Propane Inc., on Betomat Court.

Approximately eight businesses in the immediate area were evacuated as well as roughly 12 residences on Humber Station Road. An evacuation site was set up at the Albion Bolton

Community Centre.

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The public gave the Town some comments to consider after the employment land needs study was presented during a community meeting.

The study, prepared for the Town by Watson and Associates Economists Ltd., included a town-wide assessment of Caledon's primary employment areas including south Albion- Bolton, Mayfield West, Tullamore and the remaining rural area. Jamie Cook of Watson and Associates, said that generally they're talking about industrial lands.

He explained recent employment growth in Caledon from 1991 to 2001 was considerable, but represents a relatively minor share of employment growth in Peel. Caledon's employment grew to 16,435 jobs in 2001 from 11,500 in 1991.

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Anthony and Antonietta Marrocco of Caledon had a nice surprise Nov. 10, winning $18.5 million in

Lotto 6/49.

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After receiving a petition from many area residents on Horseshoe Hill Road, Town council agreed to their request for a lower speed limit.

The new speed limit for the road from Charleston Sideroad to Highway 9 is 70 kilometres per hour, a 10 km-h reduction from the previous unposted speed

limit of 80.

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There were plenty of tributes for Caledon's "senior statesman" Alex Raeburn, as the former councillor marked his 95th

birthday.

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The month closed with councillors hearing about the latest staff proposals for the 2008 Town budget. They were told the latest proposal would mean a 7.6 per cent tax increase, and Mayor Morrison promptly declared that was too high.

She later said one of the problems is they were expecting the Mayfield West development to come on quicker. She explained the provincial government has made the Town assessmentgrowth dependent and right now the Town doesn't have assessment growth. The Town, though, was trying to get everything back on schedule.

"We're working hard on employment," she said, but noted it's probably a couple of years away. "We'll have

to be frugal."

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The community lost one of its most passionate environmentalists late in November. John Gilbert, who had been named the Town's and the Caledon Environmental Advisory Committee's Environmentalist of the Year, passed way Nov. 26 after a long battle with cancer.