From building more schools and boosting business, to decreasing traffic congestion and assuring clean drinking water, York-Simcoe’s MPP candidates have several ideas on how to help Bradford West Gwillimbury manage its growth.
As the second-fastest growing municipality in Ontario, BWG is expected to have a population of 50,500 by 2031, according to the town’s new official plan.
One way to help the community adjust to increasing growth is by identifying and improving weak areas, said York-Simcoe Libertarian candidate Silviu Druma.
“We are going to work together and try to strengthen these areas because we want to make our town's offering more compelling for business,” he said. “Another important aspect of this is qualified workforce. We should try to identify what skills would be necessary in five years from now and offer training in this direction.”
Druma said BWG needs more schools, but the biggest problems are related to existing government regulations.
“It has become increasingly harder to set up a new business in Ontario. We have to reduce the government's red tape and stimulate business growth,” he said.
Liberal candidate Loralea Carruthers said traffic is the biggest challenge caused by growth, followed by the need to invest in local public services, such as health care and education.
“I will work towards all-day GO train service, building the Highway 400-404 link, and continuing to invest in widening and improving Highway 400 and the Bradford bus service,” she said.
“As well, I have also called for three new public schools and a new high school for Bradford. As a school board trustee and former (board) chair, I know how to advocate for the funding needed to deliver on these capital priorities. I also strongly support work to bring a new hospital campus to serve South Simcoe.”
Continued investments in seniors’ housing, particularly for low-income seniors, is also important, Carruthers said.
“More and more families are looking to call Bradford West Gwillimbury home … but we need to be ensuring that the infrastructure is in place to meet the needs of current and future residents,” said Progressive Conservative candidate Caroline Mulroney.
“That includes building roads like the connecting link, ensuring access to timely health care, and schools that aren’t over-crowded.”
Mulroney said she is committed to working closely with municipal partners to “identify priority projects, and exploring avenues that the local and provincial governments can work together to see them accomplished.”
Local NDP candidate Dave Szollosy said growth and the health of the existing population depend upon correcting negative environmental trends.
“One of the critical issues on managing growth is to assure a reliable source of clean drinking water,” he said.
“Bradford currently gets its water both from ground sources and surface sources. Lake Simcoe is being threatened by the Liberal plan to dump 40 million litres a day of treated sewage into Lake Simcoe — a lake already straining under an overload of phosphorus pollution.”
The NDP, he said, will create a clean water strategy and ensure that every Ontarian has access to safe water for swimming, fishing and drinking.
York-Simcoe’s Green Party candidate Alexandra Zalucky and Ontario Moderate Party candidate Franco Colavecchia did not respond to interview requests.
The provincial election will take place June 7.
