Why Caledon's mayor says it feels like the child of divorce amid Peel's breakup
Peel Region to be dissolved by 2025 if province's legislation passes
Peel Region is splitting up by 2025, but for the town of Caledon, the separation isn't something it wanted to see.
On Thursday, Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark tabled legislation to begin the dissolution of the region, making Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon standalone cities by the beginning of 2025.
Caledon, by far the smallest member of the Peel family with a population of under 77,000 as of the 2021 census, has always maintained the Peel Region system was serving it well.
Caledon Mayor Annette Groves likened the situation to a divorce at a news conference Thursday.
"We know that now there is a divorce happening, and now we just have to figure out how we ensure that the children are not impacted," said Groves.
"It isn't something that we wanted, but at the end of the day, we're here with this decision today and I think we just have to work with it and do the best we can."
Clark says he will ensure all municipalities, which currently share considerable infrastructure and several services, are "made whole" amid the dissolution. But for Caledon leadership and residents, questions remain what the process and result will look like.
Hopes for some resources to remain shared
The province's next step is to appoint a transition board to monitor any financial or contractual moves made by local governments in the years leading up to dissolution and make recommendations on things like labour relations and property tax changes.
Clark has said it's possible the three municipalities might still share some services following dissolution.
Groves says many questions remain including what becomes of water, wastewater and road maintenance in Caledon, but that working through those questions is the transition board's purpose.
WATCH | Groves on Peel Region's impending divorce:
The mayor says she's hopeful some services, such as water, will continue to be shared.
"I think the opportunities are there to share utilities," Groves said.
Longtime Caledon resident and community advocate Cheryl Connors says she's worried how her small community will pay for anything it will need going forward.
While the split has been advocated for by successive Mississauga mayors for years, Connors says it doesn't make sense to leave Caledon on its own because it doesn't have as many resources as the two larger municipalities.
"To announce legislation that leaves us as a standalone community as if we're the same as Mississauga and Brampton… That's just absurd," she said.
She says she is worried the people of Caledon will now need to shoulder more costs.
"I haven't heard any business or financial reasons, or anything that's good for the taxpayers," she said.
Questions about level of consultation
Connors says she's concerned about what she perceives as a lack of consultation with residents before the decision was reached.
"We're the forgotten child that nobody cares about. We're the afterthought," she said.
Asked whether residents were given a say in the decision, Clark told reporters the province conducted polling and consultations in Peel Region. The minister did not specify who was consulted or how many residents were polled.
"There's been consultations, there's been election campaigns, there's been polling, there's been there has been studies. You know, this is not something that we just decided without some significant thought," Clark said.
Caledon resident Shahid Khan says he's worried about what the move means for his family's use of recreational facilities.
"We go to Brampton to a soccer stadium and then we go their recreation centres," said Khan. "We need to build more of these services here in Caledon now."
But with less economic development in Caledon than in neighbouring Mississauga or Brampton, he's not sure how his town will pay for new facilities and services or if residents will have to do without.
In spite of anxieties from residents, Groves said, "I have every confidence that we will all be looked after in the end."
She says she will keep fighting for Caledon residents in the transition.
"I will make sure that they are protected, that they are we have our fair share, and that we are all treated equally here."
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