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Caledon Votes 2026: Council Candidates Identify Top Environmental Priorities in Their Wards
Candidates say growth must be matched with infrastructure, tree protection and stormwater upgrades as Aurora faces rising development pressure and more extreme weather.
Municipal candidates in Aurora and Caledon emphasized environmental preservation on Thursday, citing the urgent need to balance rapid population growth with protection of green spaces, farmland, and critical infrastructure.
Intensifying storms and climate change are overwhelming local infrastructure, prompting candidates to call for upgraded storm drains and better stormwater management as existing systems struggle to handle population expansion.
Alexandra Bonham advocates for regular reporting on Aurora's 40% canopy target, while candidates seek to preserve the 96-acre Anne Bartley Smith Estate on the Oak Ridges Moraine as an ecological asset.
Candidate Tom Sweeney opposes a proposed mega-quarry blasting 800 acres near the water table, while others target illegal trucking operations threatening groundwater and community safety through the Illegal Land Use Task Force.
Proposed revisions to the Site Alteration By-law and adoption of an EcoSystem Approach represent candidates' effort to ensure future development does not compromise long-term ecological health or water security.