âAnd now sheâs been out there with Doug Ford saying this is the greatest thing; we need this,â he said. He paused, before continuing: âI voted for her.â
In the 2022 municipal election, voters were desperate for change, having witnessed the damage done by previous mayor Allan Thompson, who had quietly pushed warehouse development in the Greenbelt, violating several environmental and land-use planning policies.
Thompson was part of a majority group of pro-development council members that included Jennifer Innis. Both of their families have significant land interests and will profit handsomely from the construction of sprawling subdivisions on vast tracts of farmland.Â
Innis ran for mayor in 2022 to replace Thompson, with his blessing, but was quickly confronted by a fierce anti-sprawl, anti-413 Highway, anti-freight village campaign that swept Groves into the mayorâs office. Â
Groves and Innis had opposed each other on growth-related votes for more than a decade, and the rookie mayor vowed four years ago to make good on her sacred campaign vow to keep development in check and protect Caledonâs verdant stretches of beloved greenspace from rapacious developers. Groves seemed like an obvious choice to lead Caledon with diametrically opposing views to Innis: One promised more walkable communities, transit, climate-conscious planning and protection for rural and environmentally sensitive lands. The other favoured a more conventional suburban expansion, with sprawling subdivisions, car-dependent neighbourhoods and Highway 413 cutting through the Greenbelt.
âI will ensure that developers do not plan our community but the people plan our own community and our future,â Groves said, pledging âgrowth will pay for growthâ and infrastructure will be âin place before development happensâ.
Using her past record of voting on key council land use issues, she promised to continue pushing back against urban sprawl-inducing ministerial zoning orders (MZO). She described the provincial government tool that overrides local planning authority as an âundemocraticâ approach that âcircumvents the public processâ. Groves said the use of MZOs leads to poor planning that favours private interests, pushing warehousing and distribution centers and a stifling âfreight villageâ future for Caledon that would force large property tax increases.
Almost immediately after her election, with Caledon voters filled with hope for their future, Groves tore up her sacred promises and threw them in the dust bin.
Her four-year tenure was effectively managed by a group of powerful developers, who literally wrote Caledonâs planning policies, under Annette Grovesâ name.
Following intense public backlash, Groves announced her retirement on April 24, leaving behind a âlegacy undone by terrible decisionsâ that failed to guard the unique character of the rustic villages and hamlets and rolling spaces she once vowed to protect.
âThey [council] gifted the Town of Caledon to the developersâŠShe ran on a strong public interest platform, and to do the exact opposite was such a betrayal to so many people,â Cheryl Connors, running to be the next Councillor for Ward 4, told The Pointer.Â
âIt also makes it really hard for anyone who wants to enter public service in the future because it feeds this jaded sentiment that politicians just say whatever it takes to get elected.â
In a move that stunned residents across Caledon who had just voted for her, Groves brought forward 13 bylaw amendments shortly after her election. Without any public consultation, the zoning changes would add about 100,000 residents to the town, more than doubling Caledonâs current population.Â
It was a jaw-dropping move that left the mayorâs supporters feeling utterly betrayed after they had been led to believe Groves would do the exact opposite. Instead of standing up to developers, she was suddenly taking her marching orders from them.
It was soon learned that the amendments Groves dropped from nowhere onto the legislative agenda had not been written by planning staff governed by the Townâs official plan and the Region of Peelâs growth master plans. They were written by a development lawyer representing one of the building consortiums that stands to make huge profits from the construction of residential subdivisions.
Axworthy shook his head that day, two weeks ago. He recalled the faith he put in Groves. He continued driving along Columbia Way toward the A8 parcel, one of the dozen that was eventually approved for massive new development. He passed the site without realizing itâsomething was different.Â
âIs that a new building?â He seemed astounded, his eyes wide with confusion.Â
The once-green, open farmland had become âunrecognizableâ, with trees cleared away to make room for a Solmar development office suddenly standing next to the road.
âIt was completely different.â
Just as a bulldozerâs engine rumbled on the site, its warning beeps piercing the air, its metal bucket scraping and digging into the ground, Bolton resident Marnie Singleton, who lives steps away from the A8 parcel, joined Axworthy.Â
Singleton, who has lived in the area since 2009, recently retired. After years of work and time spent away from home, she was looking forward to enjoying the changing fall colours from her window: âThatâs always been a beautiful part of my life.â
She had little idea what was coming until one day while driving home, she noticed that the row of trees on the A8 parcel had disappeared.
âThat broke my heart.âÂ
âI know it will provide homes for a lot of peopleâŠI just donât understand why they have to take the trees down outside the tree line or outside the fence line.â
Her biggest concern? âLosing farmlandâ.
While she understands Caledon needs new housing to accommodate the projected 300,000 residents by 2051, Singleton questions whether the townâs existing infrastructure can cope with the cumulative demands of development.
âFurther down this road is the Townline between Caledon and Vaughan, and thereâs an intersection there that theyâre [Town staff] predicting is going to be overwhelmed by the volume of traffic that this site [A8] is going to create,â Axworthy noted.Â
There is already congestion along Townline Road and Highway 50 âin the morningsâ, especially, Singleton added. âAdd snow to that mix? Itâs a recipe for a disasterâ.
âThey are going to add 122,000 people to Caledon, a town that currently is 80,000âŠthe road infrastructure as it exists, there are bottlenecks with 80,000. Whatâs going to happen when they throw another pair?,â Axworthy added.
On October 19, he headed to the final mayoral debate hosted by the Caledon Chamber of Commerce at Caesarâs Centre in Bolton, and settled in a chair, ready with a pen and notebook to take notes.
For 45 years, Caledonâs rolling hills, wildlife and a deep love for the community have shaped his life. In 2024, he decided to volunteer with Democracy Caledon, a non-profit advocacy group formed to oppose Grovesâ use of strong mayor powers and council fast-tracking large-scale urban development and pre-zoning agricultural land without heeding public concerns.
Like many residents, he now faces a difficult choice at the ballot box after Grovesâ turbulent tenure and retreat from her promise not to sell Caledon to developers: council veterans Christina Early and Mario Russo, or newcomers Alan Hart, Jagdeep Sacha and Manjit Bhondhi Saini.
âThis election is going to be a turning point for this town,â Axworthy said.
âI fear if Russo wins, what we love about Caledon is gone.â
The seeds of his frustration were sown in June 2024 when council voted on the 12 zoning bylaw amendments, drafted by developer lawyer Quinto Annibale, paving nearly 5,000 acres of agricultural land, the largest development plan in Caledonâs history.
Russo was among the councillors who voted in favour of the amendments despite the Region of Peel estimating that servicing 13,000 housing units alone (about a third of what Groves forced through for the developers who wrote her 12 approved amendments). Â
There was no fiscal plan completed to determine who will pay for this infrastructure or the impact it could have on Caledon taxpayers who may be forced to pay for the maligned plan, which has been compared to the PC governmentâs Greenbelt scandal that has been under RCMP investigation for over three years.
Only councillors Lynn Kiernan, Dave Sheen and Christina Early opposed the bylaws.
Early was asked about the 35,000 new units pushed through by Groves and a majority of council members earlier this term and if she would change course as mayor.
âApproving 26 years of growth in one term of Council without ensuring the necessary infrastructure is in place was not a decision I could support,â Early told The Pointer.
âWe cannot simply reverse decisions already made, but we can ensure future decisions are better planned, financially responsible and made with residentsâ interests first."Â
Itâs unclear why she would not reverse the decision, which Caledon residents overwhelmingly rejected. It would be well within her power as mayor to tear up the 12 amendments Groves pushed through to build 35,000 new homes.Â
âGrowth should strengthen our communities, not overwhelm them,â Early said.
Russo was asked the same, regarding his decision to support the 35,000 new homes and whether he would make a decision on the issue differently as mayor.
âYes, I will support slowing or delaying further approvals and development phases where infrastructure cannot support them,â he said.Â
âI will use holding provisions, subdivision conditions and development agreements where legally available to tie development to demonstrated servicing and road capacity.â
Former minister of municipal affairs and housing Paul Calandra, the Region of Peel and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority all stated the pre-zoning was premature.
Town staff reassured the bylaws included holding provisions that require future secondary plans, infrastructure servicing confirmations, and environmental studies before the legislation can be ratified into official planning policy, triggering construction.Â
âI supported the June 2024 zoning by-laws, with holds,â Russo said.
âThose lands were already inside Caledonâs urban boundary or existing settlement areas. Further planning and servicing requirements remained after the zoning approvals.â
Critics who reject Russoâs stance, that a terrible, developer-driven decision which he supported can now somehow be responsibly controlled, saw the vote as a starting point for a 4â5 voting bloc.Â
Residents want the bylaw amendments torn up. Full stop.
In December 2024, Democracy Caledon filed a notice of application against the Town of Caledon in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice challenging the zoning bylaws for violating section 24 of Ontarioâs Planning Act and section 273 of the Municipal Act, 2001 by failing to conform to the official plans of Caledon and the Region of Peel. The group had their hearing in May this year; Justice Rosemarie Juginovic did not issue a decision, instead reserving her ruling, which could take several months.
Five months later, on May 13, 2025, Groves quietly tabled a motion to approve a fill permit for Swan Lake, a 44-acre groundwater-fed reservoir and rehabilitated aggregate pit on protected Greenbelt landâwithout a formal application from the âprominent developerâ pushing the plan, Nick Cortellucci.
In less than two weeks, the motion was voted on, after only three residents were able to voice their concerns during a public question period with only Sheen, Kiernan, de Boer and Early opposing. Â
Among the council members who voted in favour, Ward 5 councillor Tony Rosa received a $1,200 campaign contribution from Nicola Cortellucci. Ward 1 Councillor Christina Early received the same amount (she voted alongside the residents in opposition), according to the Townâs 2022 candidate results and financial statements.
Early said her 2026 campaign is not being funded by developers, unlike the 2022 municipal elections when she received $14,900 (42.4 percent) from donors connected to the development and construction industry, according to A Better Caledon report card prepared by Caledon resident Katherine Wilson. For Russo, the share was higher: 57.6 percent.
âIn May 2025, I supported the amended motion establishing a conditional process requiring studies, public consultation and a further report to Council before an agreement could be entered into,â Russo explained.
Two months later, the Town proposed to revise its fill bylawâa connection that many saw as more than just a coincidence.
The existing fill bylaw restrictions made Swan Lake, zoned extractive industrial, ineligible for a fill permit.Â
On the other hand, the Townâs draft Site Alteration Bylaw, meant to modernize the 18-year-old fill regulations, included ambiguous language with frequent use of âmayâ and âshall,â a fragmented public notification process, all of which undermine clarity and public engagement while giving the commissioners of engineering, public works and transportation the power to approve permits, decide if public meetings are required and override Council approval for large projects.
After months of media reports, fierce public pressure, packed Town Hall meetings and provincial support for Swan Lake by Liberal MPP Ted Hsu, council temporarily halted the plan to allow the developer to fill the lake with construction waste following a motion brought forward by Russo.
Both him and Early committed to opposing filling Swan Lake and will not be supporting the proposalâs revival.
âThe next mayor has to do their job and work for the constituents of Caledon,â Belain Farm owner Anna de Langley, whose property borders Swan Lake, told The Pointer. Â Â
âWe donât want any more strong mayor powers. We don't want flip-flopping on things like the 413. We want someone that actually cares about the residents, and cares about the farmland and will protect it.
âIt's like the mistakes of the farmers 30 years ago that sold to all these aggregate people and developers; now it's all coming to fruition, and weâre the ones paying the price.â
During the debate, all five candidates stated that they reject the use of strong mayor powers.
Early and Russo also say they oppose the proposed CBM blasting quarry that plans to extract up to 2.5 million tonnes of limestone, sand, and gravel annually from below the water table using controlled blastingâcompletely altering the landscape in the town, already scarred by the aggregate industryâs moonscapes and trucks that jam roads throughout the town.
In April, Early successfully put forward a motion proposing to update a 2024 vibrations and nuisance bylaw and build stricter noise standards to protect residents and businesses 24 hours a day from loud vibrations from industrial sites, pits and quarries rather than only during designated nighttime hours; it was unanimously approved.
However, the decision was in direct contrast to Earlyâs 2020 vote in favour of a pit expansion â the James Dick/Erin pit, which doubled an existing pit in Erin and eventually encroached into Caledon.Â
In 2022, Early was asked how one of her campaign pledges could be about climate and the environment if she had greenlit the James Dick pit, at least three Ministerial Zoning Orders (MZOs) as well as fast-tracked the environmental assessment (EA) for Highway 413.Â
She said she did not believe she had voted for the pit expansion while defending the EA as a âpotential good decisionâ, adding that she recused herself from related matters due to her familyâs property being affected by the proposed highway corridorâhowever, that was after voting to fast-track the assessment.Â
A year later, when Russo was serving as Regional Councillor for Wards 4, 5 and 6, he voted against a motion to disavow former mayor Allan Thompson for securing a provincial zoning order for a 502-acre warehouse development (that engulfed six homes) without council or public supportâEarly voted in favour. However, both of them opposed a motion seeking records of communications between Thompson, Town staff and the province about MZOs from July to December 2022. Â Â
In 2023, they were also among five councillors who refused to reverse a 25 percent pay increase (motion brought forward by Groves), which raised councillorsâ salaries from $40,080 to $49,841 â an increase ten times the average rate of inflation at the time.
During the debate, mayoral candidate Jagdeep Sacha said he has heard residents complain about âvery highâ taxes already; he plans to address that by focusing on generating employment and business opportunities.
Manjit Bhondhi Saini wants to do a line-by-line budget review to protect taxpayers and essential services, and identify infrastructure gaps tied to approved growth, if elected.
Alan Hart argued that a fresh pair of eyes and leadership is exactly what Caledon needs to avoid being âknown as the warehouse and trucking hub of Canadaâ.
Early wants to shift Caledonâs current approach from logistics to attracting commercial businesses while creating âcomplete communitiesâ and easing barriers for agritourismâan area where Russo wants to invest as well, with the addition of investment in research and development, healthcare and post-secondary education instead of âpigeonholingâ.
Despite being one of the GTAâs fastest-growing municipalities, Caledon remains car-dependent, with limited public transit and heavy trucks hauling concrete and aggregate along its roads â traffic that has claimed residentsâ lives and left families fearing for the safety of their loved ones.
When Connors asked if any of the candidates would impose a moratorium on further truck-dependent industrial development until measurable safety improvements are in place, Early and Russo stopped short of committing to one, instead pointing to infrastructure upgrades, truck enforcement and local traffic solutions. They also pledged to address congestion along Highway 50.Â
âI believe the province should seriously examine how Highway 407 could be better utilized to relieve congestion across the region,â Early added.
Both Russo and Early also approved the $4.61-million micro-transit pilot contract with Argo Transit as a 15-to-16-month on-demand electric minibus pilot program covering Bolton, Caledon East, and Mayfield West despite its lack of long-term, proven operational track record.
As Caledon heads toward election day on October 26, a simmering undercurrent of discontent has hardened into a deep community divide as Early and Russo supporters trade accusationsârooted in a fear of preventing a âGroves 2.0â.
Candidates were also asked how they planned to prevent a potential 73 percent tax increase for Caledon households â $80 million annually in new costs â when 1,620 kilometres of regional roads are transferred to the Town of Caledon on July 1, 2027.
Russo believes Caledon âshould not acceptâ a transfer that would cripple the town financially; the province must adequately âsubsidizeâ to cover the costs as the population grows, especially since the roads serve traffic beyond Caledonâs borders for movement of goods.
âI joke that I might have to put a border crossing or a literal turnstile at Mayfield Road and Highway 9,â Russo said.
Early targetted Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrishâs claims that she would save $30 million and use those savings to help keep taxes down. While there has been discussion about the province subsidizing municipalities, municipalities donât know what those figures would be yet.Â
âI do not think we have a complete picture of what the July 2027 transition will look like,â she said, noting that CAOs are still crunching those numbers.
âI would be lying if I told you I could say exactly what the financial impact would look like right now.â
She argues the first priority must be to determine the total costs and financial implications, and then work with both Brampton and Mississauga as well as Queenâs Park to ensure the transition can happen without placing an unreasonable burden on taxpayers.
Whoever fate and voters have in store for Caledon, ecoCaledon co-secretary Betty de Groot wants the ânext mayor to know that this is a community that cares, that has their eyes open and is alert to what the environment needsâ.
âWe donât like being hoodwinked. We like honestyâŠthe way things have gone, especially in that last term, we don't like to be lied to,â she told The Pointer.
âWe want to know what weâre signing up for, and we want to believe in the peopleâs word even after the election.â
Former Ward 1 councillor Lynn Kiernan, who is not seeking re-election, reflected on her eight years in office that gave her a âringside seatâ to âone of the most consequential and difficult periods in Caledonâs municipal historyâ â âa clear example of why Caledon needs a change of leadershipâ.
âI have watched our community confront extraordinary growth pressures, significant changes in provincial policy, the introduction of strong-mayor powers and a changing relationship between Council and senior administration,â she said in a statement.
âI have also seen something more troubling: a deterioration in the respect and collegiality that should underpin good local government.
âIn my view, this culture was set and supported by Mayor Groves and [her hire] CAO Nathan Hyde.â
She criticized the former mayor for fostering a culture that discouraged dissent and marginalized councillors who challenged decisions.
Kiernan observed a majority voting bloc was becoming a means of silencing opposition rather than advancing policy. At times, she experienced it too.
âResidents should not be fooled again by promises of accountability, collaboration and respect if the conduct and culture of the past four years are allowed to continue,â she said.
âCaledon will continue to grow and change. There will be difficult votes and passionate disagreements. That is democracy. But respect should never depend upon agreement.
âPublic service should be demanding. It should never have to be demeaning.â
Email: anushka.yadav@thepointer.com
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Anushka Yadav, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Pointer.
