Town of Caledon disappointed by resolution to reduce Town representation on Regional Council

November 27, 2020 - The Town of Caledon is disappointed by a resolution that was walked on and adopted yesterday at Peel Regional Council that would reduce our residents’ voice at Peel Region. The motion would reduce Town’s representation on Peel Region’s 25-member Council to just three seats.

Currently, Caledon has five seats. For context, Mississauga has 12 (all of their City Council), and Brampton has seven.

“This surprise motion is unacceptable,” said Mayor Allan Thompson. “Representation on Council is important. This discussion warrants greater respect than a walk-on motion. If there are problems of representation to be addressed, they can’t be at the expense of diminishing Caledon’s voice on Regional Council. We are going to continue to play a bigger role economically for the region and in the Greater Toronto Area. Now more than ever, we need effective representation.”

Caledon accounts for 56 per cent of the land mass in Peel. The municipality also has most of the region’s prime agricultural land and the headwaters of significant watersheds. The Town represent the interests of small urban / rural communities, agricultural lands, protective greenspaces and a large portion of natural heritage features in the region.

Under the Province’s Growth Plan, Caledon’s population is also projected to more than double by 2041, and double again by 2051.

“As we grow, our community deserves our voice on Regional Council to get stronger not weaker,” continued Mayor Thompson. “Demands are increasing across the region and every community in Peel should be properly represented. That’s what we expect and what we will fight for.”

In response to the resolution, Mayor Thompson has called a special virtual council meeting on Monday, November 30 starting at 6 p.m. Further details will be available online: calendar.caledon.ca/meetings. The Region will also be organizing a public meeting to further consider the matter. 

- 30 –

Media Contact:

Catherine McLean
Director, Customer Service and Communications
905.584.2272 x. 4146 | catherine.mclean@caledon.ca