What’s Really Going On In Caledon? Ian Sinclair Speaks Out

Here’s what mayoral candidate, Ian Sinclair, had to say in response to Tayler Parnaby’s article “Caledon Mayoral Race A Popularity Contest” in the October 13th Caledon Enterprise:

Quoting from Parnaby’s article: “We seem generally pleased with things here in Caledon, smallish irritants aside. No over-arching demand for change. No need to upset apple carts.”

Sinclair points out:

Time and again, right across Caledon, residents have been facing major land use decisions negatively affecting their health, safety and property values made by their closed minded councillours with minimal consultation or notice.

• In north Albion, the Brock Aggregates sand pit application to mine into zoned setbacks and below the water table, contrary to the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan;
• in Cheltenham, Brampton Brick applied to fill their huge shale; quarry with general, excess construction fill from all over the GTA causing significant new truck traffic on local roads and no controls on contaminated fill;
• in Palgrave, a major $12+ million taxpayer funded equestrian exhibition grounds completely out of character with surrounding residential uses approved with minimal public consultation;
• at Bolton, the massive and intensive Canadian Tire distribution and truck servicing facility promoted behind closed doors for 2+ years before any public consultation and accompanied by threats of police action during the Public Information Meeting intended to hear residents’ concerns;
• in Belfountain, an unwanted Peel Regional roads decision to fully urbanized the old-time streets to curb, gutter and sidewalks without full consultation;
• also in Belfountain, the return of an old subdivision proposal with septic systems right on top of their natural ground water supply;
• north of Alton, approval of the 330 acre Olympia gravel strip mine having significant ground water and truck route impacts on area roads;
• the Peel Region Goods Movement Plan to turn Horseshoe Hill Rd., Winston Churchill amp; Mountainview roads into major truck routes without any consultation with affected landowners;

• Near Inglewood, a proposal to build a tiny parking lot at a cost of $30,000 per spot, to service the Badlands erosion site, but no consultation with affected land owners;
• east of Inglewood, a Kaneff golf course approval contrary to Provincial Policies designed to protect agriculture.
• Lastly, not a land use decision such as those listed above, the Town building and planning process for small business has become so long, costly and open-ended many businesses are leaving Caledon altogether or wish they had never started permit applications for expansion.

So there are ten examples of major new developments approved by council under their “DONE DEAL” mantra. In most cases, meetings with the proponents of each deal were held with staff & councillours for at least two years prior to residents first hearing of the full implications on their properties and neighbourhood.

So what do you think?

Mr. Parnaby claims, from a barber chair somewhere, Caledon residents are pleased with all of these major decisions made without consultation and that these are “smallish irritants” to their health, safety and property values. In every case, residents have had to set aside their lives to learn all about obscure land use policy details, incorporate citizen groups, and spend their own scarce money to oppose these bad planning decisions. A fundamental principle of political representation is to protect residents from big business and big government but in Caledon, residents have to protect themselves on their own. Residents across Caledon have been using the phrase “clean house” as a preferred outcome of this election.

The current council members have been shrilly stating for the last five years that “Caledon is not run by developers!”nbsp; When the above list of decisions are considered, the mantra needs to be clarified to, “Caledon is not run by developers, just the ones this council likes”!

Ian G. Sinclair, Caledon Mayor Candidate